I'm so glad you could stop by. This is my personal blog of daily life and my journey through life. You will find a strong emphasis on family and friends as well as finding my ancestors through genealogy. Unlike my other blogs this blog is more of a catch-all so any topic is fair game.

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Sunday, March 25, 2012

Blog Your Blessings Sunday - The First Week of Spring

Blog Your Blessings Sunday

It was another beautiful, unseasonably warm and mainly sunny week.  It's been two weeks now that we have had the furnace off but the weather is predicted to return to the normal temperatures this coming week so we will likely have to put it back on.  Daffodils, Narcissus and crocuses were in full bloom to greet the first day of spring.  Buds are on the trees, the grass already needs to be cut and and our peach trees are just starting to bloom.  I spent the week volunteering, enjoying the weather, identifying plants in our new gardens, doing a bit of pantry restocking and doing a bit of gardening planning.  In general it was a very laid back, quiet spring week.  What a delightful way to start spring off!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2012


Saturday, March 24, 2012

Despite Good Intentions

For the past couple of months or more I have been involved in getting a much needed community project up and running.  It was my idea and with some rather impressive support, I have been rather busy.  Today we held an informational session that was beyond a dismal failure.  It really was beyond a slap in the face and while I am a bit discouraged, I have every confidence my idea will fly.  What I don't understand is folks giving the mouth support but nothing more.  Furthermore, I can't understand why a government agency would give mouth support without following through.  What I do understand is myself.  I did not earn four post secondary degrees while raising our kids while helping in our family business to simply walk away when the going gets tough.  Like it or not, with or without the mouthpieces support THIS PROJECT WILL GO AHEAD.  It WILL be a successful project and one that will serve our community well.  Our intentions have been good and yet despite the good intentions, apathy prevailed.  What today showed is we really need to light a fire under the apathy displayed by this community and trust me, I'm just the person to do so! What the he---, if you can't help yourself as a community then exactly who should be helping you?  It's time to take a stand, help yourselves!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2012


Sunday, March 18, 2012

Blog Your Blessings Sunday - Unbelievable Weather!

Blog Your Blessings Sunday

Last Sunday I blogged about the temperature reaching 61ºF so I turned the furnace off.  I expected the unseasonably warm weather to last a day or two.  Little did I know it would last all week!  We had temperatures into the low 70º F during the day and low 50º F at night.  My gosh, these temperatures are unheard of for this time of year in southwestern Ontario.  Unbelievable!  Folks are walking around in shorts, sandals, and short sleeve tops.  Kids have been walking by in bare feet.  I think this is pushing it a bit given the amount of illness going around.  The warm spell is predicted to last all this week as well.  I am elated to be able to turn the furnace off this early in the year.  What absolutely gorgeous weather!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2012


Thursday, March 15, 2012

Meet Baily

new puppy Baily
Baily
March 14, 2012


Isn't she just adorable?  Baily is a 6 week old mixed breed puppy one of our kids adopted.  This little cutey loves to snuggle up close to the crook of the neck and she loves being held.  Baily is quite small even though one of her parents was quite big so she is either the runt of the litter or inherited the smaller size genes.  At any rate, we don't think she is going to get very big.  She went for her first vet check-up and shot yesterday.  The vet said she was too small for the shot but he gave her de-worming pills along with a clean bill of health.  Baily came to visit us for the evening while our kid met another obligation and didn't want to leave her by herself.  Snuggles from grand-puppies...priceless!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2012


Sunday, March 11, 2012

Blog Your Blessings Sunday - Spring Has Sprung

Blog Your Blessings Sunday
We have had a very unseasonably mild winter with very little in the way of snowfall or even cold snaps.  Unfortunately that has resulted in more sickness from germs not killed off by the cold snaps but as a family we have managed to stay fairly healthy this past winter.  Wiraton Willie predicted an early spring and sure enough we are right at the six week mark for his prediction.  Yesterday it started warming up and I even spotted the first robin of the season. Today we reached a high of 61ºF so I had the furnace off and windows open.  We grilled steaks on the charcoal side of our outdoor grill.  The air smelled heavenly all day, fresh and clean during the day with the amazing aroma of steaks on the grill for dinner.  It is supposed to nice the rest of the week.  What a great weather for the kids to have for March Break!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2012


Saturday, March 03, 2012

Are Your Part of the Problem or Part of the Solution?

I'm a go getter who has no problem taking action where needed.  It's in my make-up, that bit of stubbornness mixed with attitude fueled by a heart that really does want to make a difference in this world.  My pet peeve has always been childhood hunger or hunger of any kind.  Years ago when our kids were young, I can't tell you how many kids I fed.  They were always at our house and at least two of them there because they would not have got fed at home.  It made no never mind to me.  I will not see anyone go hungry if I can help it.  Food insecurity is one of Canada's growing concerns.  It is surprising how many Canadian children go hungry on a daily basis.  As a Canadian this really bothers me.  I can't sit by twiddling my thumb, doing nothing.

Little did I know what I was doing by feeding those kids, something that just came naturally, was part of the solution.  I never thought of it that way.  Fast forward to 2012 and I have an amazing community project underway.  If all goes according to plan, it will be part of the solution to feeding the hungry in our community.   I'm excited and yet scared.  I'm not scared of failing but more of letting down those who are looking for help so come hell or high water this project is going to fly!  I am determined to be part of the solution, not part of the problem.  Failure is not an option!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2012